Daily Republic: Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Autopsy shows driver in July fatal on Highway 12 was drunk

RIO VISTA — The driver who caused a two-car collision that killed four people in July was intoxicated.

The autopsy report from the Solano County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office states that Jordan Colvin, 20, from Vacaville, had a blood-alcohol concentra tion level of 0.203, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08% for drivers who are 21 or older. Mari juana also was detected in his urine.

Colvin and his two passengers in a Honda Accord – Lacey Conway, 19, and Erica Anderson, 19, both from Vacav ille – were killed in the collision, which took place about 8:10 p.m. July 27, the Rio Vista police reported.

An empty case of beer and a half-empty bottle of hard alcohol was found at the scene, the Rio Vista police reported.

Colvin was not wearing a safety belt and was ejected from the car. Conway, sitting in the backseat, also was ejected, the investigation reports show.

Laura Poiret, listed in her 70s, was in the Chev rolet Suburban that was struck by the Honda and also died as a result of the crash. Six others in that vehicle were taken to area hospitals for treatment. All seven are Mexican nationals who were vacationing in the United States.

Colvin was west bound on Highway 12, between Summerset and Church roads, when he veered off the road to the right, overcorrected and crossed over into the eastbound lane and col lided with the Chevy, the police reported.

The autopsy report was acquired through a California Public Records Act request as required by the agency.

FAIRFIELD — Solano County health officials are not as con cerned about a Covid spike over Thanksgiving as they have been the past two years.

However, Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said those who are susceptible to bad outcomes from respiratory dis eases – including Covid-19 – need to take precautions.

“The argument is you should

do what you did in pre-pandemic winters,” Matyas said. “Take pre cautions if you are concerned about bad outcomes.”

One of those precautions is fre quent and thorough handwashing, and masks, he said, help.

Matyas said he suspects this winter will see an increase in the flu and other respiratory ail ments returning to Solano County after two years of relatively low case numbers.

That is because as area resi dents defended themselves against

Covid, they also helped to avoid other diseases. In turn, Matyas said, the normal immunity built up year after year is no longer as strong and individuals with other health concerns should be aware of that.

“Every winter, from Thanks giving to New Year’s, we would have holiday gatherings and we saw increases in illness,” Matyas said. “That’s why we call it the flu season.”

WASHINGTON —

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Pres ident Donald Trump’s plea to shield his tax returns from being turned over to a House committee.

The decision came in a one-line order with no dissents.

The court’s action has the effect of upholding a longstanding request from House Ways and Means Committee Chair man Richard Neal, D-Mass., for six years of Trump’s tax returns. Neal acted under a law that says the IRS “shall furnish” the commit tee chairman with “any return or return informa tion” that he requested in writing.

The law does not authorize a public release of any tax returns,

including those of a former president. Rather the Ways and Means Committee is autho rized to examine the returns in confidence to consider new or revised legislation.

But the long legal battle is ending just as the Democrats are about to lose control of the House, raising doubts about whether Neal’s Republican successor will continue the effort.

Trump and his lawyers had already lost before a federal dis trict judge appointed by Trump and an appeals court panel with two Republican appointees.

Trump, who last week announced he will run for president in 2024, filed an emergency appeal asking the justices to inter vene and block the IRS

ODESA, Ukraine — Beneath a chill, low-lying fog, the Black Sea has gone winter-gray. The craggy coast of Crimea, illegally seized from Ukraine by Russia nearly nine years ago, lies far from this southern stretch of seashore – yet, to many here, the stra tegic peninsula suddenly seems tantalizingly close.

Ukraine’s recapture this month of Kherson, a provincial capital to the north of Crimea, has revived longtime hopes of somehow regaining control of the Massachu setts-sized peninsula, which the government in Kyiv – and most of the world – still considers part of Ukraine.

Long-range

on its forces in Crimea, including the key warmwater port of Sevastopol, amount to crossing an explosive tripwire.

Even so, the fate of the

peninsula, home to 2.4 million people, is increasingly part of the wartime discourse.

“Kherson changed things,” said Alexan der Babich, a Ukrainian local historian in the Black Sea port of Odesa. “Now people say: ‘On to Crimea!’”

Even prior to Rus sia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is about to enter a 10th grinding month, Crimea – a coveted prize for centuries, changing hands again and again – has been a lodestar for both sides in this war.

Russian Presi dent Vladimir Putin often harks back to the

weap onry that Ukraine does not possess would be crucial to such an effort, and Moscow has tried to make clear that attacks

Church youth group trip an experience of a lifetime

Editor’s note:

Sharon Randall is taking this week off for the holiday. This column is from 2004.

They were wrong about me on the bus that day. I didn’t see it then. But looking back, I can see it so clearly it makes me laugh.

Truth is often like a reflection on a pond. It’s there right in front of you. But to see it, you need to stop splashing around and wait for the water to clear.

In January 2000, while in Los Angeles for the Rose Bowl game, I attended church at Bethel Unspeakable Joy Fellow ship in Watts.

On that first Sunday of the new year, Pastor Carol Houston preached a sermon from her heart about her ambitious, but not impossible, dream to take 35 children from that church – children ages 8 to 16, who had never been out of Watts – on a bus trip around the country.

I felt incredibly moved by her passion. I could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes and feel it in my soul. I could dream that dream with her. But I was not about to get on that bus.

My late husband coached basketball for 30 years, before losing a battle with cancer two years earlier. I had spent a lot of time on buses packed with kids. I missed the kids and going to their games. Actually, I missed a lot of things. But I did not miss sitting for hours on a bus.

That Sunday, hearing Pastor Carol talk about her dream, I thought, “That woman is crazy.” And I tried not to snicker.

Beware of what you try not to snicker about in church. Six months later, I found myself on a bus with Youth Tour 2000, waiting outside the White House while Pastor Carol made it clear what she’d do to us if we didn’t behave ourselves inside.

Round trip from L.A., the tour lasted three weeks. I signed on for six days (from D.C. to Ohio) and the experience of a lifetime.

I could tell you a lot of stories about that trip and how it felt for me – a mid dle-aged widow who grew up in the ‘60s in the segre gated South – to be treated like family by a preacher from Watts and her funny little flock.

For now, I’ll just tell

you this: (1) I’ve never met anyone who shined with more courage and grace than Carol Houston; (2) I’ve never known any children who were more polite or better behaved than the chil dren on that trip; and (3) I’ve never in my life been so exhausted.

It’s not easy to behave oneself, especially to Pastor Carol’s standards. I usually try to avoid sleeping in public, but at times I found it hard to stay awake.

Late one rainy after noon, somewhere between the “Great Blacks in Wax Museum” in Baltimore and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, I closed my eyes for a moment – with my head leaning back on the seat and my mouth gaping open – when I heard what sounded like the twittering of birds. I looked up to see a half-dozen young faces snickering down at me.

“What’s so funny!”

I said, bolting upright. They roared with laugh ter and ran back to their seats. Then 10-year-old Tanika explained.

“We never saw a white woman sleeping before,” she said.

They were right about me in most of their com ments, at least, the ones that I heard:

“You’re going to write about us in a newspaper, aren’t you?”

“You look sad some times. Do you miss your husband?”

“I bet you wish you could stay with us all the way back to California.”

Excellent observations, spot on. Children often see important things adults tend to miss.

But they were wrong that day to assume I was sleeping.

Sometimes what you think you see, looking at someone on the outside, can be a lot different from what you’d clearly see if you could look beyond her skin.

Her eyes may be closed. Her mouth could be drooling. She might even be snoring louder than Pastor Carol. But that doesn’t mean she’s sleeping.

Maybe she is just waking up.

Sharon Randall is the author of “The World and Then Some.” She can be reached at P.O. Box 922, Carmel Valley, CA 93924 or www.sharon randall.com.

Carrot, 67-pound goldfish of legend, caught in France

The WashingTon PosT

An angler has caught a goldfish weighing almost 70 pounds – a carp so big-bellied that some on social media have branded her “a monster,” while others likened her to “a big lump of gold” or a flame-colored beauty.

“Carrot,” as the gold fish is affectionately nicknamed, was reeled in by British angler Andy Hackett at Bluewater Lakes in Champagne, France, earlier this month and became a bit of a celebrity Tuesday as broadcasters in the United Kingdom went for the story hook, line and sinker.

Carrot is a hybrid species of a leather carp and a koi carp, and is being described by British newspapers as one of the biggest goldfish in the world, as photos of Hackett holding up his prize with both hands made headlines in the U.K. Both the Daily Mail and the BBC began ref erencing the 1975 shark thriller “Jaws,” with the Daily Mail’s headline screaming, “We’re gonna need a bigger fish bowl!”

“I always knew The Carrot was in there but never thought I would catch it,” Hackett told British media. “’I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait and went off side to side and up and down with it.”

After Hackett posed for photos with his catch, she was released back into the waters –much to the joy of those reading about her on social media.

Like all species of carp, the domestic goldfish, also known as Carassius auratus, can balloon to epic sizes, growing as large as its habitat and resources allow.

Carrot, who most recently weighed in at 67.4 pounds, was placed in Bluewater Lakes, the French fishery, more than a decade ago, and has been described as “very elusive” by Jason Cowler, a fishery manager there. She has been caught a number of times before but only surpassed 60 pounds earlier this year, the fishery wrote.

Even before her recent fame, Carrot was somewhat of a celeb rity in the fishing world. Anglers flock to the fish farm from all over the world, hoping to catch her or one of the other giant specgies found

in the lakes. The venue, owners say, is booked out for the foreseeable future.

“Any carp angler who knows about Bluewater knows about The Carrot!” Keen fisher and fellow Briton Ian Allan, 49, told The Washington Post on Tuesday, adding that the golden fish was one he would “love to catch.” Allan said it is notoriously hard to get a booking at the venue, which has a strict catch-and-release policy and is home to fish weighing up to 90 pounds.

“The fish are very carefully looked after when caught due to their sheer size,” he said.

The Bluewater Lakes team has also emphasized on its official Facebook

page that “utmost care is taken when all our carp are caught,” adding that fish are treated for any injuries and never removed fully from the water. All photos are taken on a floating mat in case the catches decide to flip, they said.

The fishery said that Carrot is “in excellent health and condition” and about 20 years old, and predicted that Carrot could live (and grow) for another 15 years. “Long may her stardom con tinue,” it added.

While giant goldfish often garner interest and admiration, they can also be a nuisance, experts say.

The Washington Post

reported last summer that pet goldfish that had been released into lakes could grow rapidly in their new habitats, swell ing to the size of footballs and wreaking havoc.

The species made a splash in the United States last year, when officials in Burnsville, a city about 15 miles south of Minneapolis, pleaded with locals not to dump unwanted pets in local lakes, which they said was causing an infesta tion that was aggravating water quality.

The fish were blamed for stirring up sed iments, uprooting plants and exposing the wild fish population to new diseases.

In brief

Farm Bureau accepts awards nominations

FAIRFIELD —

Nominations for the Dis tinguished Service Award and the Heritage Award are being accepted by the Solano County Farm Bureau.

The Distinguished Service Award was estab lished by the Solano County Farm Bureau in 1988 to recognize indi vidual members for outstanding service to the organization and agriculture in Solano County over time.

The Heritage Award was established in 2009 to provide special recognition, among its membership, to individ uals and/or groups that have achieved a level of recognition in a life-long career in agriculture in the county.

Applications can be found at https://storage. googleapis.com/productionsitelio-v1-0-2/702/ 260702/2BZ7xwx8/ffe8 31b9744648f8bc752b66 d2f9d2af?fileName=Aw ard%20application.pdf.

Bureau’s gun raffle supports ag education

FAIRFIELD — The Solano County Farm Bureau is raising money for the Ag Education Foundation through a drawing for a gun.

The group provided $6,000 in scholarships last year. A $50 donation gets the buyer 12 chances to win.

Purchase tickets at https://www.paypal.com/ donate/?hosted_button_ id=6JB4ENWX7AZ2Y.

Session set to teach how to fight retail theft

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce will host an event intent on giving businesses information on how to fight retail theft.

Local business owners are encouraged to attend the event at 1 p.m. Monday at the Solano County Event Center, 601 Texas St.

The topics of discus sion include prevention, identification, apprehen sion and prosecution.

To RSVP, send an email mmartinez@solano county.com or call 707-784-6883.

Genealogy group sets annual potluck

VALLEJO — The Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia will have its annual potluck holiday meeting next week.

The get-together will begin at noon Dec. 1 at the Vallejo Naval & Histor ical Museum, 734 Marin St. Members are asked to bring food to share at this in-person meeting.

More information may be found on the Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia’s website at www.gsvb.org.

Farmer’s Closet hosts SBS event

SUISUN VALLEY —

Farmer’s Closet at the his toric Gomer School site will host Vendors in the Vine as part of the Small Business Saturday.

The event is a fun draiser for local fire departments.

Farmer’s Closet will host 20 vendors along with food trucks and a petting zoo. The event will have Black Friday deals and Door Busters from Farm er’s Closet.

The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 4522 Abernathy Road.

For more infor mation, visit https:// farmerscloset.com.

Family eager to have everyone home for Thanksgiving – even if it costs more

SUISUN CITY — A traditional Thanksgiving dinner is going to cost Americans, on average, 20% more than it did in 2021 – with the highest costs in the West.

Carolyn Marks does not care.

This will be the first Thanksgiving in three years that she will have her three children and now seven grandchildren over for the holiday – a total of 12 people sitting around the table, with her husband, Jackie, doing the carving honors.

“The holidays have always been big in my family. My mom cher ished them, and she passed that on to me, I guess,” said Marks while she was shopping at Walmart in Suisun City. She describes her home address as “in the country.”

“I think it is going to cost everyone more in gas than what it costs us for the food,” she said.

Marks said they spent a great deal more than the American Farm Bureau Federation’s average, even for the West. She said wine, extra pies “and antacids” were the reason.

“But I am so excited. I have never actually met my youngest grandchild. She was born in 2019,” Marks said.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, in its 37th annual survey, reported the average

INDIVIDUAL PRICES

16-pound turkey: $28.96 or $1.81 per pound (up 21%)

•14-ounce bag of cubed stuffing mix: $3.88 (up 69%)

2 frozen pie crusts: $3.68 (up 26%)

•Half pint of whipping cream: $2.24 (up 26%)

•1 pound of frozen peas: $1.90 (up 23%)

1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.73 (up 22%)

•Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $4.13 (up 20%)

•30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.28 (up 18%)

1 gallon of whole milk: $3.84 (up 16%)

•3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $3.96 (up 11%)

1-pound veggie tray (carrots and celery): 88 cents (up 8%)

12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.57 (down 14%)

Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

cost of a traditional meal for 10 will cost $64.05. That is $10.74 more than a year ago.

“General inflation slashing the purchasing

Holiday prompts closure for local government offices

FAIRFIELD —

City and county offices are closed Thurs day and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Local libraries will close at 5 p.m. Wednes day and remain closed Thanksgiving Day and Friday. Solano County courts are closed both days as well.

Trash collection will shift in some communi ties but will remain the same in others.

Republic Services crews will not collect trash on Thanksgiving Day in Fairfield and Suisun City. Customers whose pickup

day is Thursday will have service Friday. Those whose garbage is picked up Friday will have service Saturday.

Rio Vista Sanitation will not interrupt service due to the holiday. Cus tomers in Vacaville will see regular trash col lection Thursday by Recology crews.

Schools are out of session. Local post offices will close Thurs day and resume normal operations Friday.

The Daily Republic office is closed Thursday, but Friday newspaper delivery will not be inter rupted. The office will reopen at 8 a.m. Friday and close for the weekend at 3 p.m.

power of consumers is a significant factor contrib uting to the increase in average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner,” federation Chief Econo

mist Roger Cryan said in a statement.

General inflation has been running 7% to 9% in recent months, while the most recent Consumer Price Index report for food consumed at home reveals a 12% increase over the past year, the American Farm Bureau Federation reported.

“Other contributing factors to the increased cost for the meal include supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine,” Cryan said in the state ment. “The higher retail turkey cost at the grocery store can also be attrib uted to a slightly smaller flock this year, increased feed costs and lighter pro cessing weights.”

Cryan said there

should be enough turkeys for consumers this year, although there may be temporary, regional shortages in some states where avian influenza was detected earlier this year.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – costs more than last year, at $28.96 for a 16-pound bird. That’s $1.81 per pound, up 21% from last year, due to several factors beyond general inflation, the fed eration reported.

Farm Bureau “volun teer shoppers” checked prices Oct. 18-31, before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices, according to

Our beloved Leslie passed away Oct. 18, 2022, at the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, California, seven years after her first breast cancer diagnosis. Brave and gutsy to the end, like the others afflicted with the devastat ing disease, the metasta sized cancer was too much to overcome.

Leslie Ellen McNeill was born on Feb. 4, 1983, in Woodland, California. Her childhood homes included Woodland and Danville in California, Hillsboro in New Jersey, and back to Califor nia in Fairfield.

Weeks following grad uation with an Education degree from Biola University, she hopped on a plane for New York to interview with that city’s Public Schools District. Two months later she loaded up the Honda for the drive east to start the school year at her new job in Queens, New York.

She was a fourth-grade teacher for five years at Public School 105 in the Far Rockaway projects. She returned home in 2010, landing in Orange County, and eventually, the Tustin School District. She was a second-grade teacher on medical leave at Arroyo Ele mentary School in Tustin at the time of her passing.

Teaching and educa tion were her passions. Leslie knew she was going to be a teacher as a fiveyear-old, setting up her play classroom, recruiting dolls, pets and her little brother as students. She lit up a

the press release. USDA

Agricultural Market ing Service data (https:// mymarketnews.ams. usda.gov/filerepo/sites/ default/files/2867/202211-10/649374/ams_ 2867_00142.pdf) indi cate the average per-pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys was $1.11 the week of Nov. 3-9 and 95 cents the week of Nov. 10-16, a decline of 14% in just one week, the federa tion reported.

“This means con sumers who have not yet purchased a turkey should be able to find one at a lower cost than the Farm Bureau average,” the federation reported.

In the West, the average cost of a classic 10-person Thanksgiv ing meal is $71.37, the survey reported.

The traditional meal includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.

That compares to a low of $58.42 in the South; $64.02 in the North east; and $64.26 in the Midwest. An expanded

classroom. The con stant priority was what best would support the stu dent’s growth, with joy in the process.

A particular focus was reading com prehension. She did not hesitate to step up and call for our better efforts.

She is survived by her mother, Janet McNeill; father, Ian McNeill and his wife, Laurie Miller; older sister, Lauren Grounds, brother- in-law, Harry and their daughters, Grace, Abby and Dottie; younger brother, Scott McNeill, sis ter-in-law, Jennifer, and their son, Hudson and daughter, Harper; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins in Dixon, Vacaville, Mountain View, Rio Vista, San Rafael and Walnut Creek, and Salem and Albany in Oregon; and fellow teachers and close friends from her college days miss her.

An energetic and enthu siastic spirit was Leslie’s demeanor. Authentic as she could be, of strong faith (documented with her ‘Believe’ tattoo), earnest in all of her interactions, con stantly giving more than she took, always looking for a laugh, and wishing joy for the group; all that was Leslie too. We miss her terri bly, but she inspires the best in us moving ahead, and we can honor her in encourag ing the active efforts of the community in public educa tion support.

A life celebration will be held on Dec. 3, 2022. Please contact a family member if you can join us.

meal to include ham, green beans and Russet potatoes is $74.90 in the South; $81.53 in the Midwest; $82.76 in the North east; and in the West, the average cost is $88.55.

This year’s national average cost was calcu lated using 224 surveys completed with pricing data from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Farm Bureau volunteer shop pers checked prices in person and online using grocery store apps and websites. They looked for the best possible prices without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals.

“We should not take our food supply for granted,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said in a statement.

“Supporting sustainable productive agriculture in the U.S. and globally is imperative. As many of us gather with family and friends for a special meal, it’s a time for giving thanks and doing our part to help those who can’t afford a big holiday feast.”

“State and local Farm Bureaus across the country have strong part nerships with local food banks and I’m proud of their collective efforts to help ensure no one goes hungry,” Duvall said in the statement.

Our precious mother, June Louise Price, passed into the loving arms of God on Nov. 10, 2022, at the age of 99.

She died peace fully and in grace surrounded by her four children, Thais O’Shea, Carol Riv endell, Catherine (Tom) Bors and John (Annette) Price. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchil dren; and one greatgreat-grandchild.

She was a lifelong resi dent of Fairfield, California. She graduated from Armijo High School in 1940.

In 1942, she married the love of her life, William (Bill). They were happily married for 74 years before Bill died in 2016 at the age of 94.

Both loved nature and together they built a cabin in Bartlett Canyon where they created many happy family memories.

We are all grateful for her abounding love and affec tion, which she displayed

in things large and small. From the meals she cooked, the clothes she sewed, the books she read to us, the endless hugs and smiles, every thing was done with abiding tenderness and devotion.

June was also a woman of great faith and an active member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church community her entire life. She brightened all our lives and she will be greatly missed.

Friends are invited to say goodbye to June at a Mass at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, at Holy Spirit Church, 1070 N. Texas St., Fairfield, California.

The following interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in June’s name to Sisters of the Holy Faith, 12322 S. Paramount Blvd., Downey, CA 90242.

Arrangements under the care of Fairfield Funeral Home, 707-425-1041.

Adam Paul Ruffer

Oct. 3, 1978 — Oct. 27, 2022

Adam Paul Ruffer, 44, passed away Oct. 27, 2022. He was born Oct. 3, 1978, in Vallejo, California, to Donna (Williams) Ruffer and the late, James Ruffer.

Adam was a graduate of Fairfield High School, Class of 1997. During high school he was a member of the Scarlet Brigade Marching Band and marched in the Rose Parade in 1994.

Adam served in the U.S. Navy. He was a volunteer fire fighter for Fairfield Fire and Arvada, Colorado Fire depart ments. He was a paramedic and enjoyed shooting, snow boarding and dirt biking.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 12 years, Tiffany; children, Dustin, Scarlett, Evan, Jace and Makenna Ruffer; mother, Donna Ruffer; and brother, Ryan Ruffer.

Memories and condolences may be left for the family online at www.mfhcares.com.

Genealogy meeting to focus on Jewish ancestry

VACAVILLE — Janice Sellers will give a virtual presentation on “Online Resources for Jewish Genealogy” at the next meeting of the Solano County Genealogi cal Society.

The online presentation begins at 11 a.m Dec. 3.

Sellers is related to actor Peter Sellers and to John of Gaunt, son of a king and father of a king. At least that’s what her grandparents told her. They were wrong, but that’s why Sellers has researched her family for more than 45 years and now helps others find the right pieces to fit their genealogy puzzles.

Researching Jewish ancestry is in many respects like researching any other family history, But in addition, some spe cialized online sources are unique to Jewish research. Learn about the most useful of these sites, what information you can expect to find and how you can use it to help advance your research.

Sellers has volunteered at Family History Centers since 2000 and gives presentations on many genealogical topics at the local, regional, state and

national levels. She spe cializes in Jewish, Black, forensic and newspaper research. Her website is ancestraldiscoveries.com.

Guests are welcome to attend this free event. If interested, send an email to the society at scgs@ scgsca.org no later than 4 p.m. Dec. 2 and request an invitation.

More information on events may be found on the society’s website at www.scgsca.org.

Red Cross sets blood drive in Vacaville

VACAVILLE —

The American Red Cross has scheduled a blood donation event for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 at Faith Commu nity Church Vacaville. But the organization said people do not have to wait to give blood. Appointments may be made at any time at Red CrossBlood.org.

“As a thank-you, all who come to donate Nov. 23-27 will get an exclusive Red Cross beanie, while sup plies last. Thanks

to our partners at Amazon, all donors who come to give blood Nov. 28 to Dec. 15 will receive a $10 gift card by email,” the Red Cross said in a statement.

“Blood and platelet donations tend to drop more than 20% during holiday weeks, including the days around Thanks giving. Seasonal illness and the threat of winter weather can add more concern during a time of year that is tradition ally hard on the nation’s blood supply,” the Red Cross stated.

The church is located at 192 Bella Vista Road.

Republic Services posts holiday, winter schedule changes

FAIRFIELD — Republic Services will observe Thanksgiving Day and will have other changes for the next month and a half.

Household hazardous waste events will be con ducted the first and third Saturdays of December. These events will return to their regular sched ule on the second and the fourth Saturdays in January. Household haz ardous waste drop-off is by appointment only and may be arranged by calling 707-437-8971.

There will be no garbage, recycling or green waste pick-up on Thanksgiving Day. For customers whose normal service day would be Thursday, the service day will instead be Friday. For customers

whose normal service day is Friday, their service day will instead be Saturday.

Republic Services’ main office; Buyback Center; and Batteries, Oil, Paint and Anti-freeze Facilities will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Friday in observance of the holiday. Normal oper ations for office, Buyback Center and BOPA will resume Monday.

There will be no street sweeping on Thanks giving Day. The street sweeping route for Thursday will instead be conducted Friday, and the street sweeping route for Friday will instead be conducted Nov. 29.

Republic Ser vices, formerly Solano Garbage, collects trash in both Fairfield and Suisun City. For more informa tion, call 707-437-8900.

Solano Elections Office has preliminary recount discussions

FAIRFIELD — It is not a surprise that with so many close election counts the Solano County Registrar of Voters would have been contacted about possible recounts when the time comes.

John Gardner, the assis tant registrar of voters, said Monday he has had discussions with people on both sides of Measure S, the $249.6 million facility bond placed on the ballot by the Fairfield-Suisun School District.

The measure, unof

ficially, has enough support to pass with the required 55% supermajority. Includ ing votes in Solano and Napa counties, the count sits at 55.01% in support of the bond measure – four votes ahead of the threshold required for passage as of the vote county update Tuesday afternoon.

However, no formal request for a recount can be made until after the election is certified, which is scheduled to happen Nov. 30. Then interested parties have five days to make the request, Gardner

said. Napa County election officials plan to certify the election there two days later, Dec. 2.

As the vote see-sawed back and forth in the final days of the unofficial count, Gardner said he also heard from K. Patrice Williams and Nora Dizon,

who were locked in a close race for the District 1 seat on the Fairfield City Council.

As of Tuesday, Wil liams held a 12-vote lead (2,121 to 2,109) with 36.13% of the ballots.

Chuck Timm, who ran unsuccessfully for the 3rd District seat on the county Board of Supervi sors, currently represents District 1 in Fairfield.

The oath of office ceremony for the Dis trict 1, District 3 (Doug Carr), District 5 (Doriss Panduro) and mayor (Catherine Moy) posts is set for Dec. 20.

Dodd, Cohen headline virtual panel

FAIRFIELD — State Sen. Bill Dodd will host a virtual town hall Nov. 29 with the state’s controller-elect, Malia Cohen, and other panel ists discussing the results of the Nov. 8 election and the implications for Californians.

The town hall will be streamed live over mul

tiple channels and broadcast on KSVY Sonoma. Dodd, D-Napa, and his guests – Scott MacKenzie, profes sor of political science at UC Davis, and Marisa Lagos, poli tics reporter for KQED. will take questions via email and phone.

The session is set for 6 p.m. It will stream live (audio) at KSVY.org, and on video at https://sd03.

senate.ca.gov; https:// www.facebook.com/ SenBillDodd or https:// www.youtube.com/

user/SonomaTV/.

It also can found on SonomaTV.org and KSVY 91.3 FM.

Email questions may be sent to townhall@ ksvy.org. Call-in ques tions can be made at 707-933-9133.

Dodd represents the state’s 3rd Senate Dis trict, which includes all of Solano County and Winters in neighboring Yolo County.

Online marketplace with local businesses set to open

FAIRFIELD — A new online marketplace featur ing local businesses will launch on Black Friday.

“Shop Where I Live” is a joint venture between the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce and Valley

Strong Credit Union.

Businesses can bring their products and ser vices to a “virtual central marketplace.” Represen tatives are available to help set up accounts.

“This is exciting news for our community, espe cially given today’s inflationary pressures.

This allows a relationship between community and consumers with special savings opportunities this holiday season,” the organizers said in a state ment. “Consumers will be excited to know that the marketplace will offer a 10% discount for first-time orders, and the discount

will come at no cost to businesses’ bottom line as part of the initial kickoff of the site.”

For more informa tion, visit https://www. fairfieldsuisunchamber. com/ and select the tab for Shop Local!

Authorities name Fairfield residents killed in Suisun Valley car crash

Coroner IDs Vallejo pedestrian who was hit, died

FAIRFIELD — Chris tina Taylor, 38, and Taylor Mayavan, 11, both of Fairfield, have been identified by the Solano County Sheriff-Coro ner’s Office as the two individuals who were killed Friday evening in a three-car crash on Suisun Valley Road.

Taylor was the driver of a Mazda traveling north on Suisun Valley Road, near Morrison Lane, at about 6:05 p.m.

The car veered into the southbound lane and struck a Honda driven by 56-year-old Janice Barry of Fairfield, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Taylor’s car continued south, left the roadway and struck a tree. The Mazda then veered to the right and struck a Chrys ler, the CHP reported.

Taylor and Mayavan

were pronounced dead at the scene. A 6-yearold passenger was taken to NorthBay Medical Center with what the CHP described as minor injuries.

Barry was reported to have no injuries and a 3-year-old passenger was released to his father.

The driver of the Chrys ler, Virginia Martin, of Fairfield, was reported to have sustained minor injuries and was taken to NorthBay, the CHP said.

The Coroner’s Office also identified the 77-year-old Vallejo pedestrian who was struck Friday while trying to cross Tennessee Street in the dark.

His name was Terry Parsley, the Coroner’s Office reported.

The crash on Suisun Valley Road remains under investigation.

Anyone with

Crash,

Santa Train returns to WRM

SUISUN CITY — Area residents can enjoy a ride on a historic electric railway and pay a visit to Santa for the annual Santa Train at the Western

Railway Museum. Children will be treated to various activity tables. Hot cocoa, marshmallows and cookies are included. Guests are encouraged to bring cameras for a family photo with Santa. Train times vary each day.

WH to extend student-loan payment pause

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced that his administration would extend the pandemic-era pause in student loan repayments through June 30 amid legal challenges to his college debt-forgiveness plan.

Payments now set to resume Jan. 1 won’t be required again until 60 days after court challenges to Biden’s loan forgiveness plan are settled. If the litigation is not resolved by June 30, payments will resume 60 days after that, the Education Department said in a statement.

The train station opens at 11 a.m. Trains run hourly, with the last train ride at 5 p.m. Each ticket is for an exact train time.

This event runs Satur days and Sundays starting this weekend then again Dec. 3-4, 10-11 and 17-18.

Crash

The Western Railway Museum is located at 5848 Highway 12, east of Suisun City. For more information, to include the cost of tickets, visit www.wrm.org.

non-emergency line at 1-800-TELL-CHP (1-800835-5247) or the CHP Solano Area Office at 707-639-5600. State that you have information for CHP-Solano and

Bay Area air district asks residents not to burn wood over Thanksgiving

FAIRFIELD — The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is asking residents not to burn wood over the Thanksgiving holiday to help prevent air pol lution from rising to unhealthy levels.

“Air quality is expected to be in the moderate category on Thanksgiving Day and extensive wood burning over the holiday could cause air quality to become unhealthy, espe cially in inland valleys,” the air district warned.

The announcement comes on the heels of a two-day “Don’t Light Tonight Advisory” by the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, which ended Tuesday night.

That district, which covers Yolo County and the northeastern portion of Solano County, includ ing Vacaville, Dixon and Rio Vista, had stated light winds and stronger inversion layers typically increase the levels of air pollution.

The Bay Area dis trict, which covers all or parts of the nine Bay Area counties includ ing the Fairfield and Vallejo areas of Solano, has not issued a Spare the Air alert. However, it stated the conditions are

right for increased pol lution issues, which can be especially harmful to children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions.

“In the winter, wood smoke from the 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves in the Bay Area is the single largest source of air pollution, contributing about one-third of the harmful fine particulate pollution in the air. One fireplace burning can pollute an entire neigh borhood. Exposure to wood smoke – like ciga rette smoke – has been linked to serious respi ratory illnesses and even increased risk of heart attacks. Breathing fine particulates accounts for more than 90% of pre mature deaths related to air pollution,” the dis trict stated.

Other information is available by:

n Signing up for text alerts by texting the word “START” to the number 817-57.

n Visiting www.spare theair.org or www. baaqmd.gov.

n Signing up for email or phone alerts at www. sparetheair.org/alerts.

n Downloading the Spare the Air, Bay Area iPhone or Android app.

n Connecting with Spare the Air on Face book, Twitter or Insta gram.

Democrats fail to gain in state House races

Republican Rep. Mike Garcia had a target painted on his back this year.

Garcia barely won a special election in 2020 and a full term later that year, twice defeating Democrat Christy Smith, a former state assemblywoman, the second time by just 333 votes.

However, Garcia’s district, in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles, went for Demo crat Joe Biden in that year’s presidential duel by 12 per centage points and when its boundaries were redrawn by the state’s redistricting commission, its Democratic voter registration margin grew to more than 12 per centage points.

All of that made Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot, a potentially prime target in 2022 as Democrats tried to prevent Republicans from taking control of the House.

Ultimately, however, Garcia coasted to a surprisingly easy reelection, defeating Smith for the third time by about 5 percent age points, and by happenstance, his victory gave the GOP the 218 seats it needed to take control of the House. Also by happen stance, Garcia’s 27th Congressional District borders on the 20th Congressional District of House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who is likely to become the next speaker.

The Democratic campaign hierar chy had, for some reason, not mounted the all-out attack on Garcia that had been widely expected and Smith, having lost for the third time, was incensed.

“Our campaign got next-to-zero outside resources to fight this battle. In fact, I was fighting the institutional power of my own party from the outset of this race,” Smith said in one of several Twitter postings lamenting that her lack of party support meant “we didn’t stand a chance.”

Garcia’s victory is emblematic of what happened in California’s congressional elections this year. Despite pre-election prognostication that the state’s huge number of seats and its deep blue leanings would make it a major battleground, the result was a virtual draw.

Republicans needed a net nationwide gain of at least five seats to control the House and Democrats believed that with redistricting and their lopsided voter reg istration, they could potentially flip that many seats just in California to thwart a midterm loss.

Garcia was just one of five Republican incumbents who appeared to be vulnera ble and Democrats also thought they could prevail in one or two newly created districts that lacked incumbents.

All five of the targeted GOP congres sional members appear to have survived, although one, perennial target David Valadao of Hanford, is still awaiting a final tally in the San Joaquin Valley’s 22nd Con gressional District, which also shares a border with McCarthy’s 20th Congressional District. As of Monday, Valadao held a five percentage point lead over Democrat Rudy Salas, a state assemblyman, and The Associ ated Press had called the race for Valadao.

It’s entirely possible that when all of the votes have been tallied, Republicans will have gained a seat or two in California – a far cry from the multiple-seat gain Demo crats had hoped to score to offset expected losses in other states.

So does that mean California is the deci sive factor in the GOP takeover of the House? One could make that argument, but when the overall margin is so thin – not really any larger than the current Demo cratic majority – outcomes in many states could be claimed as decisive.

A four-seat Republican gain in New York, where Democrats also enjoy an overwhelm ing voter registration lead, seems much more impressive than California’s status quo outcome.

That said, by holding their own in Cali fornia, Republicans can rightfully claim a victory of sorts – particularly in light of a redistricting process that seemed to shrink their already small congressional delega tion.

Democrats, meanwhile, should feel a bit chagrined that they could not do better under favorable circumstances.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Cal ifornia’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.

Letters to the editor

Letters must be 325 words or less and are subject to editing for length and clarity. All letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Send letters to Letters to the Editor, the Daily Republic, P.O. Box 47, Fairfield, CA 94533, email to gfaison@dailyrepublic.net or drop them off at our office, 1250 Texas St. in Fairfield.

COMMENTARY

Dems making a mistake on debt limit

Fresh off an unexpectedly resilient performance in the midterms, the Dem ocrats appear to be bun gling things right off the block by making a major politi cal miscalculation on how to handle the debt ceiling.

Democratic leaders have signaled they don’t intend to address the borrowing limit in the current lame-duck session of Congress, when their major ities in the House and the Senate would theoretically give them a shot at raising or even eliminating the cap entirely without the help of Repub lican votes.

Democrats also seem to have con vinced themselves that should the issue come to a head in early 2023, pushing the nation once again to the brink of a default and economic crisis, Republicans will take the blame.

“Although there is grave risk to the economy, the gun is in Republicans’ hands,” a Biden adviser told Politico last week. “And there is little question as to who will get blamed for this.”

Rarely have I seen more mis guided thinking from Joe Biden’s White House.

If there is a debt crisis or, even worse, a government default caused by breaching the borrowing cap, the blame should indeed fall on Repub licans. But Democrats are kidding themselves if they think they won’t be held responsible for the eventual eco nomic fallout.

It’s not that Republicans actually oppose raising the limit, a super fluous and unnecessary law that only allows the Treasury to borrow money Congress has already obli gated it to borrow. (In previous debt limit showdowns, some Republicans have claimed without evidence that the government could somehow pri

COMMENTARY

oritize which bills it paid, and ignore the rest. This time, at least so far, Republicans are explicitly saying they support raising the limit but believe in using it to extract conces sions from Democrats.) But Republicans believe they can withhold their votes in order to extract concessions on yet-tobe-revealed policy goals. And they’re willing to risk creat ing havoc in financial markets and undermining faith in U.S. credit in the process. It’s the political equivalent of a bratty kid threatening to hold his breath until he turns blue.

The economic mayhem that would likely result from a debt crisis should spur Democrats to do whatever it takes to raise the limit now. Ideally, they would jettison the cap entirely so we could bring an end to these show downs, which do no good for anyone. But doing so would likely involve using the budget reconciliation process in the Senate to avoid a Republican fil ibuster and would require the support of Sen. Joe Manchin of West Vir ginia. The White House might not have the appetite or the ability to secure his support.

Manchin is facing a potentially tough reelection battle in 2024, so he has strong reasons for preferring bipartisan solutions when they are available. But he is making a mistake: He probably wouldn’t like any deal that Republicans offered. If Manchin can’t be won over, Democrats simply won’t have the votes.

Still, Biden and Senate Democratic leaders should be trying to bring him on board. The problem is the White House might sincerely believe Repub licans alone will pay the price for blocking action on the debt ceiling. That’s just wrong.

Whatever voters might claim they

feel about who is responsible, if the economy tanks, Biden will take the blame. We just had a perfect example of how this works. After Russia’s inva sion of Ukraine, polling indicated that voters would blame Russia, not Biden, if gasoline prices jumped. Indeed, a solid majority of voters said they were willing to pay more at the pump if that’s what it took to push back against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Yet as soon as gas prices surged, so did Biden’s disapproval numbers.

If the U.S. did default on its debt, there is little doubt that a majority of voters, and perhaps an overwhelm ing majority, would tell pollsters that Republicans in Congress were pri marily at fault. But if the economy is damaged, Biden’s standing will suffer. That might not be fair, but that’s the way things work.

And when November 2024 rolls around, voters won’t let Democrats off the hook. That should be strong incentive for Biden and congressio nal Democrats to put an end to debt limit dramas right now. (Almost right now. I doubt a debt limit vote would make any difference in the Georgia Senate runoff, but the rules that Dem ocrats would have to use would allow Republicans to offer amendments aimed at generating tough votes for Sen. Raphael Warnock, and so it makes sense to wait until after the Dec. 6 vote.

For everyone else, the marginal pain of a tough vote two years – or more –before they are on the ballot again isn’t a big deal.) As a side benefit, they can know they are making good public policy by doing so.

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering poli tics and policy. A former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University, he wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

Where the pro-life movement goes

Results from the midterm election were a massive disappointment to those of us who supported the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Yet it’s crucial the pro-life move ment absorb the message voters have sent on abor tion and refocus its efforts if it wants to ultimately prevail.

The sad fact is that a strong major ity of Americans favor abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Polls have long shown that, and the results from every abortion-related ballot measure this year reiterate it. The fact that states long viewed as opposing abortion, such as Kansas and Ken tucky, refused to explicitly eliminate or exclude a constitutional right to an abortion from their state constitutions speaks volumes.

That’s not to say every thing is gloomy.

The fact that voters and their repre sentatives have a say at all in abortion law is progress. That’s why Roe needed to go. The successful reelec tion of governors such as Brian Kemp in Georgia and Greg Abbott in Texas, both of whom signed bills outlawing abortion after a heartbeat is detected, also shows that voters can support pro-life politicians. Abortion is less available in the United States than it was six months ago, and that’s a win for the pro-life cause.

What’s clear, however, is that further gains will be slow to arrive and could come at great cost. Abor tion rights advocates are mobilized and well funded. They have the active or tacit support of many of the nation’s leading institutions, including many large businesses. They will surely seek to press these advantages and

try to nationalize abortion law in the near future, trying to do through statute what they can no longer do through courts. Fighting back against this onslaught requires a refocus ing of pro-life attention and priorities. To begin with, there should be no substantial effort to introduce any national bans on abortion, no matter how limited those are. Proposals such as the bill offered by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) that would ban abortion nationally after 15 weeks of pregnancy might sound good, and might even garner majority support in polls. But Democrats will never permit this, and simply raising the issue in a national forum gives abortion rights advocates the ability to claim that a nationwide total ban is in the offing. That is a canard, but the midterm results show it is one that is widely believed.

Pro-lifers should therefore make it clear they approve state – not federal –action. Abortion law was determined at the state level before Roe, and it is appropriate that it be determined by the states now that Roe is gone. Letting California be California will not sit well with activists, but if that is the price of letting Texas be Texas, it is the best outcome that can be reasonably hoped for right now.

More effort must also be put into educating legislators how to think and talk about abortion. Abortion rights advocates eagerly seize on every mis spoken utterance or extreme statement and use them to tarnish all abortion opponents. Pro-life politicians must talk about abortion with sensitivity to both the mother and the unborn child.

Most importantly, activists and movement leaders need to engage in the patient, long-term work of talking

from

here

about human biology. People instinc tively want to protect human life, which is one reason polls show support for abortion drops precipitously the longer a pregnancy continues. The fact is that heart activity can be detected by the fourth week of pregnancy, and the neural tube that includes the brain is formed in the second month. Ending a pregnancy at these points stops a human heart and silences a human brain, yet virtually no prominent prolife legislators speak about this when explaining their position.

This failure gives a rhetorical leg up to abortion rights advocates. They can point to a living woman, and who doesn’t empathize with her plight?

Pro-life advocates, however, could point to a living – if still tiny – child, even at early stages of pregnancy.

Surely people could empathize with that child’s plight as well, if only they heard about it.

This is the field on which the abor tion battle must be fought and won. Americans will agree to ban abor tion in the early stages of pregnancy only when they are convinced that a tiny fetus with an evolving heart and brain has the same right to life as do you and I. Everything must be directed at winning this contest; all else is a distraction.

Every movement for social change takes decades to triumph. Overturn ing Roe took nearly 50 years, and it was only the necessary first step. It would be easy to be discouraged after this year’s reversals. Instead, now is the time for patience, prudence and perseverance.

Henry Olsen is a Washington Post columnist and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Kiley, backed by Trump, heading to Congress

WASHINGTON —

Republican Kevin Kiley, a conservative firebrand supported by former Pres ident Donald Trump, topped Democrat Kermit Jones to win the new 3rd Congressional District seat, according to an Asso ciated Press projection.

With 84% of the vote counted as of Tuesday afternoon, Kiley had about 53% to Jones’ 47%.

Kiley will represent the newly drawn 3rd District, which stretches 450 miles from Plumas County, through the Sacramento suburbs and parts of El Dorado County, and south to Inyo County.

While independent analysts had seen the race

as a likely Republican win, the Kiley-Jones clash became a classic Republi can vs. Democratic battle.

Kiley, an Assembly man from Rocklin, argued that California was a mess, plagued by rising crime, runaway inflation and excessive government spending. He was critical of the election counting system, a slow count that made his race one of the last to be decided in California.

Kiley got a boost this spring when Trump announced his support, a backing Trump reiter ated earlier this month when he said Kiley had provided the victory that gave Republicans the House majority. Trump was wrong; Kiley had

Crime logs

FairField

SUNDAY, NOV. 20

1:08 a.m. Shots fired, 2500 block of AUTO MALL PARKWAY 6:58 a.m. — Battery, 1000 block of WEBSTER STREET 7:52 a.m. — Reckless driver, OAKBROOK DRIVE 9 a.m. — Grand theft, 900 block of BROADWAY STREET 9:21 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 500 block of PITTMAN ROAD 10:06 a.m. — Drunken driver, 2700 block of DOVER AVENUE 11:02 a.m. — Reckless driver, MANUEL CAMPOS PARKWAY 12:12 p.m. — Forgery, NORTH TEXAS STREET 12:31 p.m. — Sexual assault, 900 block of HARDING STREET 1:14 p.m. — Residential burglary, 1200 block of DANA DRIVE 1:24 p.m. — Battery, 3300 block of CHERRY HILLS COURT 1:38 p.m. — Reckless driver, PEABODY ROAD 2:23 p.m. — Forgery, 600 block of VALLEY VIEW WAY 2:37 p.m. — Battery, PENNSYL VANIA AVENUE 3:51 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 6:37 p.m. — Grand theft, 1900 block of BRISTOL LANE 6:47 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1900 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 7:23 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 7:45 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1500 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 8:06 p.m. — Indecent exposure, 2300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 8:48 p.m. — Robbery, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 9:34 p.m. — Drunken driver, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY MONDAY, NOV. 21 12:57 a.m. — Drunk and disorderly, 1700 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 7:48 a.m. — Trespassing, 800 block of DELAWARE STREET 8:41 a.m. — Residential burglary, 1300 block of SONATA DRIVE 10:03 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1900 block of DAWNVIEW PLACE 10:13 a.m. — Forgery, 2400 block of HILBORN ROAD

10:20 a.m. — Grand theft, 1600 block of HOLIDAY LANE 10:37 a.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 11:12 a.m. — Drunken driver, 1400 block of WEST TEXAS STREET Noon — Trespassing, 2000 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 12:55 p.m. — Residential burglary, 1600 block of QUAIL DRIVE 1:40 p.m. — Drunken driver, 1200 block of KENTUCKY STREET 1:42 p.m. — Indecent exposure, 1400 block of HOLIDAY LANE 2:04 p.m. — Forgery, 2400 block of HARBOR COURT 2:16 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 2100 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 2:22 p.m. — Forgery, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE 4:26 p.m. — Trespassing, 2000 block of SAN LUIS STREET 4:39 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1300 block of MCKINLEY STREET 7:30 p.m. — Battery, 5100 block of DUREN CIRCLE 7:43 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, WATT DRIVE 8:13 p.m. — Forgery, 1400 block of HOLIDAY LANE 8:18 p.m. Battery, 1900 block of GRANDE CIRCLE 9:05 p.m. — Trespassing, 1300 block of EMPIRE STREET 10:13 p.m. — Trespassing, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD 11:41 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 800 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE

SuiSun City

SUNDAY, NOV. 20 9:32 a.m. — Hit-and-run no injury, WALTERS ROAD 4:37 p.m. — Reckless driver, PETERSEN ROAD / FULMAR DRIVE 5:11 p.m. — Assault, CORDELIA STREET / PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE

MONDAY, NOV. 21 1 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 900 block of DRIFTWOOD DRIVE 4:50 p.m. — Hit-and-run no injury, PINTAIL DRIVE / FULMAR DRIVE

Matyas said.

“So I do think we are going to see a surge . . . but I think it is going to be a mix (of respiratory ill nesses),” Matyas said.

That is why the Public Health Office has had discussions with area hos pitals to make sure they are ready for an increase in patients with respira tory concerns.

“We are expecting an impact on hospitals,”

The current dominant Covid-19 strain has not shown to result in a lot of bad outcomes unless there are other health issues, Matyas said. Still, Matyas strongly encourages resi dents to get Covid boosters and flu shots.

RSV, the human respi ratory syncytial virus, is a respiratory disease that can be particularly bad for infants and toddlers, so be careful about exposure to others, he said.

And if someone is sick, they should stay home, Matyas said.

not yet been declared the winner at the time. Kiley himself said last week he won the race.

Jones, a Navy veteran and physician, vowed to improve access to health care, make higher educa tion more affordable and provide more help for small businesses.

They fought over abor tion rights. Kiley opposes abortion, but does does support a woman’s right to abortion in cases involv ing instances of rape and incest and when the life of the mother is at risk.

Jones backs a law pro viding a right to abortion that “entrusts a physician to provide the necessary medical care to save lives,” Jones told The Bee.

“The idea that a politi

cian knows what is better for my patients than I do is absurd,” he said. During the campaign, Jones was often reluctant to talk about the Demo cratic Party. Kiley tried in his ads and social media to portray Jones as a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is leaving that post when the new Congress convenes in January. Jones would not commit to supporting Pelosi for another term as Democratic leader.

Kiley, an assembly man since 2016, drew statewide notice last year when he helped lead the fight to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. The effort was rejected overwhelmingly; among those who wanted Newsom replaced, Kiley

got 3.5% of the vote.

But he gained a strong following among con servatives and quickly pivoted to a House race in the newly drawn dis trict that seemed to tilt Republican. The gov ernor remained his favorite target.

“We have a governor, Gavin Newsom, who says repeatedly that California is a model for the nation. So everything that’s moti vating this to be a change election across the country in immigration, in terms of crime, in terms of the economy – all of those things apply here in Cali fornia to an even greater degree,” Kiley told News max’s “National Report earlier this month.

He got a big boost in

From

peninsula’s imperial history, painting it as an integral part of Russkiy mir – the Russian world.

That construct, suppos edly based on shared Slavic culture, is in turn presented by the Kremlin as an overarching pretext for trying to subdue all Ukraine, a onetime Soviet republic that has been a sovereign nation for more than three decades.

As the war drags on, Ukrainians have scant patience for Russian nostalgia over symbols of empire.

They shrugged when Moscow-backed offi cials in then-occupied Kherson made off with the bones of the 18th century princely Russian general Grigory Potem kin – revered by Russians for his role in annexing Crimea from Ottoman Turks in 1783. In Odesa, a statue of Potemkin’s lover, Empress Catherine II, is boarded over and set for removal.

In a sense, Crimea is at the heart of the current conflict. Many here argue that a less-than-resolute world reaction to Russia’s seizure of the peninsula in 2014 helped set the stage for Putin’s inva sion this year. Western nations, including the United States, imposed sanctions and denounced Crimea’s annexation at the time, but ruled out a military response.

Now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has added the return of Crimea to his list of war goals, along with driving Russian forces back to pre-Feb ruary positions and regaining control of the other four mainland prov inces sham-annexed by Putin in late September.

Putin is betting heavily on Western war-weari ness increasing in coming months, especially among

energy-pinched Euro pean allies. If Zelenskyy eventually faces calls to consider territorial concessions to end the conflict, Crimea’s status could be a key diplomatic pressure point.

The Russian leader has already shown his fury over challenges to Moscow’s dominion over Crimea, particularly last month’s spectacu lar attack on the Kerch Bridge to the Russian mainland, a 12-mile span that Putin personally inaugurated in 2018.

Ukraine has not formally claimed respon sibility for the massive Oct. 8 explosion that damaged the bridge’s roadway and rail line, but days later, Russian forces embarked on a campaign to destroy Ukraine’s civil ian power infrastructure, employing language that hinted at payback. The biggest missile barrages of the war have lately targeted Kyiv and other cities, plunging millions into cold and darkness.

With some 40% of the nation’s electric grid knocked offline, Ukrai nian authorities have begun helping people in recently liberated parts of the country’s south –where retreating Russian troops wrecked energy facilities – depart vol untarily to avoid further straining the falter ing power supply. Last month, the munici pal government in Kyiv raised the drastic possi bility of evacuating the capital if the city’s elec trical capability were to break down completely.

Ukraine notched a series of important vic tories on the autumn battlefield – Kherson’s recapture, and prior to that, the rout of Russian forces from a huge swath of Kharkiv province, in the northeast – and some senior Ukrainian politi cal security figures are publicly bullish on the idea that Kyiv can mili tarily win back Crimea.

not enough time to prop erly study, draft, debate, or pass legislation,” the Trump legal team said.

So are some Western experts, including Ben Hodges, former com mander of U.S. forces in Europe, while other ana lysts are more measured in their views.

Ukraine is already using newly recaptured areas in the south as a staging ground to harry Russian troops. Oleksiy Hromov, deputy chief of the army’s main opera tional directorate, said during a briefing last week that Ukrainian forces were “doing every thing possible to strike at the enemy with the maximum range of our weapons” – which now includes areas close to the peninsula.

While Crimea itself lies out of range of Ukrai nian rockets and artillery, essential Russian supply routes – the “land bridge” established when Mos cow’s forces seized the southern cities of Mariu pol and Melitopol earlier in the war – are newly vulnerable. The penin sula’s canal-borne water supply is also threatened.

In response, Russia has been strength ening ground fortifications, includ ing deepening trenches at Crimea’s northern edge, a British military intelligence assessment said last week.

Russian military installations on the pen insula have come under occasional stealth attacks in the course of the war, carried out either by drone or by suspected Ukrainian saboteurs.

In September, Ukraine claimed responsibility for a strike a month earlier on a Russian air base that destroyed at least nine aircraft and sent plumes of thick black smoke into the air, in full view of Russian vacationers who favor Crimean beaches –or did, at least.

Other serious setbacks for Russia have taken place in the waters off Crimea. Back in April, in one of the war’s most eye-

May during the primary campaign. Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones challenged him for the GOP nomination, but Kiley won the Trump endorsement. That mat tered in a district where Trump got about half the 2020 vote.

Trump embraced Kiley again Nov. 15 when the former president announced his 2024 can didacy and called Kiley “fantastic.”

Kiley has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, a law degree from Yale and a master’s degree in sec ondary education from Loyola Marymount Uni versity. He’s worked as a prosecutor and a teacher.

catching military feats, Ukraine sank the flag ship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, with shore-to-ship mis siles. And Russian forces in late June were forced to abandon Snake Island, a dot of territory 22 miles off Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, after coming under repeated Ukrai nian attacks.

Putin-watchers say that the heightened, bordering-on-mystical language the Russian leader uses to character ize Moscow’s attachment to Crimea fuels rage – and calls for vengeance –whenever Russia suffers a setback there.

Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at Brit ain’s Royal United Services Institute, wrote on Twitter over the weekend that poten tial peril to Crimea “is alarming even the most hardline voices” inside Russia. He cited warn ings by an influential lawmaker, Andrei Guru lyov, who declared that Moscow must guard against a perfidious joint Ukrainian-NATO attack on the peninsula.

Zelenskyy’s gov ernment, meanwhile, reminds citizens in ways large and small that Ukraine has never stopped considering Crimea its own.

Virtually every day, a mobile app used by millions lights up with warnings of Russian missile strikes in various parts of the country. When the alert is nation wide, the peninsula is deemed “the only part of Ukraine” not under threat.

Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, who grew up in Crimea, told the news outlet Ukrainska Pravda last month that the peninsu la’s recapture could come as early as next year.

“We are going to come back there quite soon,” he said. “Yes, with weapons.”

From

from turning over his tax records to the committee.

Trump’s legal team argued that doing so would “undermine the separation of powers” and leave all future pres idents exposed to having their private tax returns exposed by political oppo nents in Congress.

“No prior Congress has used its legislative power to obtain and expose the private financial infor mation of a president,” Trump’s attorneys said in their final appeal Nov.14.

Moreover, they argued that time had run out on House Democrats.

“The old Congress has only a few days left on its legislative calen dar. Though a few days is enough time to improp erly expose the most sensitive documents of its chief political rival, it’s

Two years ago, the Supreme Court handed down a split deci sion when it considered two cases involving Trump’s taxes.

In the first, the jus tices cleared the way for New York prosecutors to obtain Trump’s returns, and those records played a role in civil and crim inal charges that were brought against his real estate organization.

In the second case, the court blocked sub poenas from three House committees that sought financial records from the then-president, his family and his businesses.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. cited the “separation of powers” and questioned whether House Democrats had legitimate legislative reasons for seeking per sonal information from the chief executive.

Trump’s lawyers cited that decision in Trump vs. Mazars in their suit to block Neal from obtaining the now ex-president’s records from the firm that prepared his busi nesses’ taxes.

Since 1977, presidents had routinely released their tax returns, but Trump refused to do so. And while the IRS had a policy of carefully audit ing the returns of the president, Neal said the committee had doubts about whether the agency had looked into Trump’s far-flung holdings.

“Unlike his predeces sors, Mr. Trump owned a complex web of busi nesses, engaged in business activities inter nationally and had a history of aggressive tax avoidance (as he has boasted),” House lawyers told the court.

In 2019, Trump’s treasury secretary rejected Neal’s request for Trump’s tax returns, arguing it was more of

a political ploy than a congressional effort to explore the need for new legislation.

After Trump was defeated in 2020, Neal submitted a new request, and it was approved by the new Biden administration.

Trump then went to court seeking to the block the release.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, dis missed his lawsuit last December, and the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington affirmed that decision in August by a 3-0 vote.

McFadden cautioned that his ruling did not authorize the public release of Trump’s taxes.

“Public disclosure of another’s tax returns is a grave offense, and prior committee chairmen have wisely resisted using” the law “to publicize individ uals’ returns,” he wrote.

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.

The makers of the upcoming fifth “Indiana Jones” film used movie magic to dig itally de-age star Harrison Ford for an opening sequence set in 1944, direc tor James Mangold told Empire magazine.

The scene, which depicts Nazis in a castle, aims to capture the spirit of the franchise’s original films imagined by direc tor Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

“I wanted the chance to dive into this kind of full-on George-and-Ste ven old picture and give the audience an adrena line blast,” Mangold said.

Out next June, the

untitled film marks the 80-year-old Ford’s first turn as the adventurer Indy since 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

“My hope is that, although it will be talked about in terms of tech nology, you just watch it and go, ‘Oh my God, they just found footage. This was a thing they shot 40 years ago’,” pro ducer Kathleen Kennedy told Empire.

“We’re dropping you into an adventure, some thing Indy is looking for, and instantly you have that feeling, ‘I’m in an Indiana Jones movie.’”

The franchise’s first three movies are set in 1930s, while its fourth takes place nearly two decades later. The latest film is partly set in 1969.

Club Q shooting suspect changed name in 2016

DENVER — The man accused of opening fire in a Colorado Springs night club changed his name in 2016 to protect himself from his birth father and that man’s “crimi nal history,” according to court records obtained by The Denver Post.

Nicholas Frank lin Brink asked a Bexar County, Texas, judge to change his name to Ander son Lee Aldrich more than six years ago, when he was 15, court records show. Aldrich was living in San Antonio at the time, records show, and his grandparents signed the petition authorizing the name change.

The family wrote

that Aldrich wanted to change his name “to protect himself and his future from any con nections to birth father (sic) and his criminal history. Father has had no contact with (Aldrich) for several years.”

The petition was filed on April 28, 2016, and granted by a judge on May 2, shortly before Aldrich’s 16th birth day. The Washington Post first reported the filing Tuesday morning, but the revelations about Aldrich seeking his name change to distance himself from his father, Aaron Brink, have not yet been reported.

There has been intense scrutiny on Aldrich’s history since he was

arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of killing five people and injuring 18 more at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

Police have said Aldrich, 22, walked into the gay and lesbian club and opened fire, minutes before the beginning of Transgender Day of Remembrance began. The suspect was tackled by patrons of the club, one of whom beat him bloody with his own weapon.

Aldrich was dis charged from the hospital Tuesday and booked into the El Paso County Jail, according to Colorado Springs police.

Officials have remained tight-lipped about Aldrich. They have yet to pub licly identify a motive for

the shootings, and they have refused to confirm if Aldrich is the same man who was arrested in June 2021 for threatening his mother with a bomb and other weapons.

But the records obtained by The Post provide key insight into his history. They show that he had been the subject of a legal guardianship court ruling in California before and that his grandparents were his legal guardians.

Aaron Brink signed the petition acknowledging he was Aldrich’s father and giving his son permission to change his name. The petition is also signed by Aldrich’s mother, Laura Voepel. Brink and Voepel divorced in 2001, court records show.

The Choyce Law Firm

Americans catching on: Ties are not great

No, Qatar should not be hosting the World Cup. No, it isn’t right that fans can’t drink beer and players can’t wear rainbow arm bands at this World Cup. But the World Cup is still the greatest sporting event. Bar none. And this is coming from someone who has covered sports for 35 years, including Super Bowls, Final Fours, Wimbledons, NBA Finals, and 14 Olympics.

ANALYSIS

Those are all fun in their own way, but there is nothing quite like the World Cup.

Nothing means more to most sports fans on this planet than watch ing their national soccer teams take center stage, living and dying with their heroes’ every dribble, every pass, every shot, every foul, every save for the dramatic month-long quadrennial tournament.

It is why an estimated five billion people – more than half of the world population – will tune in to some part of the Qatar World Cup, which kicked off Sunday and runs through Dec. 18. It is why businesses, schools, gov ernment offices and banks shut down in many coun tries when their World Cup team is playing.

For too long, Amer icans didn’t get it. The World Cup was a foreign party they usually weren’t invited to and

didn’t understand. Those days are over.

The Empire State Building was lit up Sunday night to celebrate the start of the World Cup. So was the Seattle Space Needle, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and many other iconic buildings across the nation. Here in South Florida, which will host World Cup games in 2026, Hard Rock Stadium, Port Miami, and Miami-Dade Courthouse all lit up the night sky for the occasion.

Fans were awake and

in full World Cup mode by 5 a.m. Pacific time to tune into England’s 6-2 rout of Iran. Crowds gathered at British pubs all over America and partied as the Three Lions proved to be one of the Cup favorites.

Later in the after noon, plenty of Americans (some of whom I know and will remain name less) pretended to work, or were half-engaged at work, while watching the USA vs Wales game on another screen with

the sound turned down. Others played hooky alto gether and attended watch parties, decked in USA team scarves. Americans now bet on games and fill out World Cup brackets. They plan watch parties. They fill out Panini sticker books.

That collective roar at 11:38 a.m. was Amer ican fans from sea to shining sea celebrating Tim Weah’s goal off a bril liant through ball from

Armijo boys basketball has high hopes in growing roster

FAIRFIELD — New head coach Michael Morris is expecting a positive turn for the Armijo High School boys basketball team once things settle in with his roster.

Morris has had to deal with ineligible players, sickness, inju ries and the delay of transfers in the early going. He had eight suit up Friday night in the season opener, which resulted in an 84-56 loss to Bethel.

Armijo grad Muhindo Kapapa saves best for last at San Diego

Kentucky.

Kapapa had three solo tackles, four assists, three sacks for losses totaling 22 yards, and one quar terback hurry. It was a tough defensive win that helped San Diego close out its season 5-5.

The local product ended his season with 23 solo tackles, 22 assists, 14 tackles for losses, one forced fumble, seven quarterback hurries and three pass breakups.

Senior

Here’s a look at other local athletes at four-year colleges, or in the pros:

Asa Wondeh’s (Will C. Wood) season is done at Eastern New Mexico, but the junior wide receiver earned postseason honors. Wondeh was the Newcomer of the Year and All-Lone Star Confer ence after finishing the season with 52 catches for 929 yards and seven touchdowns. He also returned 11 punts for 133 yards.

Senior defensive lineman Mondo

Calderon (Fairfield) was named second-team, All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference at MinnesotaMorris. Calderon finished with 16 solo tackles, 33 assists, seven tackles for losses, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one blocked kick. The Cougars finished 5-5.

Sophomore linebacker Zion Booker (St. Patrick-St. Vincent) was honorable mention All-North west Conference. The Fairfield native tied for the conference lead with three interceptions and was second in the conference with 10 pass breakups. He finished with a hand in 47 tackles, six of them for

Here’s what stood out most in 49ers rout of the Cardinals in Mexico City

Monday night in Mexico, Jimmy Garop polo excelled in the bright global spotlight.

What a difference from three months ago, when he worked on a side field in solitary confinement.

The 49ers obviously had an array of worthy stars – and unheralded linemen – for Garoppolo to share that glamour after a 38-10 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals before 78,427.

But Garoppolo is the quarterback, and with this international plat form, he undoubtedly fortified his reputation as a winner, this time

as a four-touchdown passer and as a fired-up field general.

No one wanted him when he was rehabilitat

ing a surgically repaired shoulder. Now, since reclaiming his old job once Trey Lance’s Week 2 ankle injury, Garop

polo has won three games in a row without a turn over, the same recipe he had in the 49ers’ other three wins.

By night’s end, the United States had a new ambassador to Mexico, and he credited the pro49ers crowd: “I love them. The Mexican fans, they’re nuts. But we love that. It gets us going, with the passion they were yelling with and the energy they were bring ing. It was a fun night. I loved it.”

Garoppolo, showing his unselfish nature, deflected credit to “every one” stepping up, and, of course, that included

Morris has coach ing experience with the boys and girls programs at Vacaville Christian, and the girls program at Carondelet in Concord. He takes over a program that will eventually feature his son Trevor Morris and a few others who should check in by the new year.

Any win this season will be an improvement on last year when the Royals finished 0-10 in the Monticello Empire League and 0-24 overall.

“It’ll be different when we are healthy and all together in January,” Morris said.

“I think we can surprise some people when we have the full picture. We could be scary.”

The Royals showed some signs Friday night. Junior guard Kymani Barker hit four 3-pointers and scored a team-high 24 points.

Junior wing-forward Marcel Longmire added 17 points and eight rebounds.

Armijo lost to Kennedy 83-50 on Tuesday. Long mire had 16 points and eight rebounds. Barun Singh added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Morris said Barker plays big for his 5-foot-9 frame. He also considers Longmire a veteran “gym rat” who continually works to improve his game.

Morris is also high on Demari Combs, a 6-foot-5 wing-forward who should be back soon from injury, senior guard Chateau Harrell who will be back in January, along with his 6-foot-9 son who will be ready to go in January after transferring from Vanden.

The rest of the roster includes junior guard Marc Punzalan, junior guard Daniel Williams, junior guard Justin Lau, senior guard Josh Rusit, senior forward-wing Singh, sophomore wing Isreal Legree and senior center Donovan Randall.

Las Vegas will host first Final Four in 2028

tribune Content agenCy

LAS VEGAS — The 2028 NCAA Men’s Final Four will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the NCAA announced Tuesday.

Slated to take place April 1 and 3, 2028, it will mark the first time Las Vegas plays host to the annual end to the college basketball season.

“We are excited to bring the NCAA’s premier championship to Las Vegas, a city that for a number of years has hosted numerous championships from several member con ferences,” said Chris Reynolds, athletics director at Bradley Uni versity and the chair of the committee. “The

feedback from leagues, the fans of their teams and the media covering the events staged there has been overwhelm ingly positive, and we are confident we’ll get the same reviews when the Men’s Final Four is played at Alle giant Stadium.”

The NCAA Divi sion I Men’s Basketball Committee on Tuesday selected the host sites for the Final Four between 2027 and 2030, with Detroit receiving the 2027 event, India napolis being awarded it in 2029 and Arling ton, Texas, grabbing the 2030 version.

The Final Four is the latest major event slated for the Raiders’ Alle giant Stadium.

CALENDAR

Wednesday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

• Battle 4 Atlantis, North Carolina State vs. Kansas, ESPN, 9 a.m.

• Battle 4 Atlantis, Dayton vs. Wisconsin, ESPN, 11:30 a.m.

• Maui Invitational, Fifth Place, ESPN2, 11:30 a.m.

• Maui Invitational, Championship, ESPN, 2 p.m.

• Battle 4 Atlantis, BYU vs. USC, ESPN2, 2 p.m.

• Battle 4 Atlantis, Butler vs. Tennessee, ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.

• Maui Invitational, Third Place, ESPN, 7 p.m.

• Wooden Legacy, Saint Mary’s vs. Vanderbilt, ESPN2, 9 p.m. NBA

• Dallas vs. Boston, ESPN, 4:30 p.m.

• Sacramento vs. Atlanta, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 4:30 p.m.

• L.A. Clippers vs. Golden State, ESPN, 7:05 p.m.

Golf

• DP World, Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, GOLF, 6:30 p.m.

Hockey NHL

• Philadelphia vs. Washington, TNT, 4:30 p.m.

• Ottawa vs. Vegas, TNT, 7 p.m.

• San Jose vs. Seattle, NBCSCA, 7:30 p.m.

Soccer World Cup

• Morocco vs. Croatia, FS1, 2 a.m.

• Germany vs. Japan, FS1, 5 a.m.

• Spain vs. Costa Rica, 2, 40, 8 a.m.

• Belgium vs. Canada, 2, 40, 11 a.m.

Thursday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

• Battle 4 Atlantis, First Semifinal, ESPN, 8 a.m.

• Knight Invitational, North Carolina vs. Portland, ESPN, 10 a.m.

• Battle 4 Atlantis, Second Semifinal, ESPN, 10:30 a.m.

• Knight Invitational, Duke vs. Oregon State, ESPN, Noon.

• Knight Invitational, Iowa State vs. Villanova, ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.

• ESPN Events Invitational, Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, ESPN, 2 p.m.

• Knight Invitational, Florida vs. Xavier, ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.

• Knight Invitational, Connecticut vs. Oregon, ESPN2, 5 p.m.

• Knight Invitational, Purdue vs. West Virginia, ESPN2, 7 p.m.

• Knight Invitational, Alabama vs. Michigan State, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

• Knight Invitational, Portland State vs. Gonzaga, ESPN, 9:30 p.m.

• Wooden Legacy, Championship, ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.

Football College

• Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss, ESPN, 4 p.m.

NFL

• Buffalo vs. Detroit, 5, 13, 9:30 a.m.

• N.Y. Giants vs. Dallas, 2, 40, 1:30 p.m.’

• New England vs. Minnesota, 3, 5:15 p.m.

Golf

• Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de Espana, GOLF, 7 a.m.

• Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, GOLF, 6:30 p.m.

Soccer World Cup

• Switzerland vs. Cameroon, FS1, 2 a.m.

• Uruguay vs. South Korea, FS1, 5 a.m.

• Portugal vs. Ghana, 2, 40, 8 a.m.

• Brazil vs. Serbia, 2, 40, 11 a.m.

Christian Pulisic. It gave the Americans a 1-0 lead over Wales that they would hang onto for 46 super charged minutes.

Then came the col lective groan at around 1 p.m., which was fans all over the United States and thousands of starspangled fans at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Doha begrudgingly accept ing a 1-1 tie after Welsh star Gareth Bale blasted in the equalizing penalty kick after being taken down in the box by U.S. defender Walker Zim mermann. Bale was already a national hero in Wales, a country of 3 million people that had not been in a World Cup since 1958, and he is a bigger hero today.

Once upon a time, U.S. fans would have been happy with a tie. They would have said “Good try, boys! Go USA!” Not anymore. Americans now under stand how unsatisfying it is to accept the one point for a World Cup tie when the three points for a win seemed so close. After

Monday’s tie, Twitter was blowing up with angry posts by U.S. fans complaining that coach Gregg Berhalter brought in Jordan Morris as a late-game sub instead of Gio Reyna.

“Bringing on Jordan Morris over Gio Reyna is legitimately a fire able offense” read one Tweet. “Jordan Morris over Gio Reyna has to be some kind of crime,” read another.

There is so much more soccer on U.S. television these days, and fans have developed strong opin ions, just like they do for the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball.

It isn’t only U.S. fans who have become more sophisticated and soccer savvy. The American national team players, who used to be a mostly rag-tag bunch of scrappy college kids trying to keep up with highly paid professionals, are also all grown up. Many of them play with Europe’s Big Boys now, and the rest play in well-established Major League Soccer.

Ten of the 11 Team USA starters on Monday were Europe-based, the most in U.S. World Cup history. stages before and faced some of the world’s elite players.

Scoreboard

BASKETBALL

NBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct GB Boston 13 4 765 Philadelphia 9 8 529 4 Toronto 9 8 529 4 New York 9 9 500 4½ Brooklyn 8 10 444 5½ Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 12 4 750 Cleveland 11 6 647 1½ Indiana 10 6 .625 2 Chicago 7 10 412 5½ Detroit 3 15 176 10 Southeast Division W L Pct GB Washington 10 7 588 Atlanta 10 7 588 Miami 7 11 389 3½ Orlando 5 13 278 5½ Charlotte 4 14 222 6½

WESTERN CONFERENCE Northwest Division W L Pct GB Utah 12 7 632 Denver 10 6 .625 ½ Portland 10 7 .588 1 Minnesota 9 8 .529 2 Oklahoma City 7 10 412 4 Pacific Division W L Pct GB Phoenix 10 6 625

SACRAMENTO 10 6 .625 L.A. Clippers 11 7 611 GOLDEN STATE 8 10 444 3 L.A. Lakers 5 10 333 4½ Southwest Division W L Pct GB New Orleans 10 7 588 Dallas 9 7 .563 ½ Memphis 10 8 .556 ½ San Antonio 6 12 333 4½ Houston 3 14 176 7 Monday’s Games New Orleans 128, GOLDEN STATE 83 Cleveland 114, Atlanta 102 Indiana 123, Orlando 102 Chicago 121, Boston 107 Milwaukee 119, Portland 111 Minnesota 105, Miami 101 N.Y. Knicks 129, Oklahoma City 119 L.A. Clippers 121, Utah 114 Tuesday’s Games SACRAMENTO 113, Memphis 109 Philadelphia 115, Brooklyn 106

Detroit at Denver, (N) L.A. Lakers at Phoenix, (N) Wednesday’s Games SACRAMENTO at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at GOLDEN STATE, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at Charlotte, 4 p.m. Portland at Cleveland, 4 p.m. Minnesota at Indiana, 4 p.m. Dallas at Boston, 4:30 p.m. Washington at Miami, 4:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Toronto, 4:30 p.m. Chicago at Milwaukee, 5 p.m. Denver at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m. New Orleans at San Antonio, 5 p.m. Detroit at Utah, 6 p.m. Thursday’s Games No games scheduled.

HOCKEY NHL

7 p.m. Ottawa at Vegas, 7 p.m. Vancouver at Colorado, 7 p.m. Thursday’s Games No games scheduled.

FOOTBALL

NFL

Thursday’s

FRANCISCO 38, Arizona 10 Week 12

Thursday’s Game Buffalo at Detroit, 9:30 a.m. N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 1:30 p.m. New England at Minnesota, 5:20 p.m. Sunday’s Games New Orleans at SAN FRANCISCO, 1:25 p.m. Denver at Carolina, 10 a.m. Tampa Bay at Cleveland, 10 a.m. Baltimore at Jacksonville, 10 a.m. Houston at Miami, 10 a.m. Chicago at N.Y. Jets, 10 a.m. Cincinnati at Tennessee, 10 a.m. Atlanta at Washington, 10 a.m. Los Angeles at Arizona, 1:05 p.m. Las Vegas at Seattle, 1:05 p.m. L.A. Rams at Kansas City, 1:25 p.m. Green Bay at Philadelphia, 5:20 p.m. Monday’s Game Pittsburgh at Indianapolis, 5:15 p.m.

Vacaville wrestlers take 4th during weekend at Clovis West Shootout

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville High School wrestling team finished in fourth place Saturday in the prestigious Clovis West Shootout.

The Bulldogs entered the tournament ranked No. 17 in the state and fin ished behind California powerhouses Buchanan, Gilroy and Clovis.

Leading the Bull dogs were Casey Roberts (132 pounds) and Thomas Sandoval (182). Both wrestlers took home titles in dominant fashion to start off their respec tive seasons. Roberts was named “Outstand ing Wrestler” of the tournament.

Vacaville also had six other wrestlers place in the tournament. Placing third for the Bulldogs were Eli Almarinez (115)

and Arjun Nagra (160). Finishing in fifth place were Quasi Marini (138) and Carson Howell (152). Caleb Borchers (152) and Brady Wight (170) fin ished in seventh place.

Girls Basketball Armijo gets edged out

at Dixon

FAIRFIELD — The Armijo High School girls basketball team was edged out Monday night by Dixon, 36-32.

The Royals led 18-11 at halftime before the Rams had a 12-4 edge in the third quarter to pull away. Armijo fell to 0-2.

Jasmine Cardwell led the Royals with nine points, Marian Supapo had eight points and Alayah Gibson added seven.

Armijo will be back

in action Wednesday at home against Mount Diablo of Concord.

Boys Basketball Vacaville Christian wins opener

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville Christian High School boys basketball team opened the season Friday with a 59-52 win over Elite in Vallejo.

Garrett Kuch hit three 3-pointers and finished with 22 points. Landon Graves scored 16 and Brian Laxama added 12. Thomas Lane contrib uted eight rebounds and seven assists.

Big second and third quarters helped the Falcons pull away. Vacav ille Christian outscored Elite 15-6 in second period and 13-9 in the fourth.

College Solano women’s basketball falls

ROCKVILLE —

The Solano Community College women’s basket ball team lost Saturday to Skyline, 58-50.

Genesis Ernie-Hamil ton led the Falcons with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and an assist.

Jaslyn Woods added nine points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Jade Dickson had eight points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocked shots.

Skyline held the edge in the first half and led 37-24 at halftime. Solano outscored them 26-21 after the break to close the gap.

The Falcons are 2-4 overall and will be back on court at 6 p.m. Tuesday at home against Modesto.

Shark’s frustration is growing with number of questionable hits absorbed

SAN JOSE — The Sharks are becoming frus trated with the number of questionable hits their players have been taking over the last several days.

Two days after he was hit from behind near the boards by New York Rangers forward Ryan Carpenter, Sharks center man Nico Sturm missed Monday’s game with the Ottawa Senators with what was described by coach David Quinn as an upper-body injury.

Then, in the second period of Monday’s game, Sharks defenseman Nick Cicek was clipped in the head on a check by Sen ators’ centerman Mark Kastelic behind the San Jose net.

Cicek fought Kaste lic and finished the game, although he had just 11:39 of ice time in what became a 5-1 Sharks win, their first regulation-time victory at SAP Center this season. Both Cicek and Kastelic received fighting majors, but Kastelic did not get another penalty for the hit.

“That should have been a penalty (on Kastelic). I mean, if you look at it, it’s a headshot,” Quinn said.

That’s been in ques tion as well. Defenseman Radim Simek has been on injured reserve since Nov. 14 with a mild con cussion after he was hit in the head by Mason Shaw the night before in a game against the Minnesota Wild. Simek told this news organization Monday that he wondered why Shaw wasn’t fined or suspended.

Simek, barring any set backs, could be available to play Wednesday night when the Sharks play the Seattle Kraken at Climate

Pledge Arena.

Sturm’s status was not immediately known. Saturday night, he was carrying the puck inside the Sharks’ zone in the first period when he was hit by Carpenter and went facefirst into the glass. Sturm clutched his helmet as he went down on the ice, then skated off and left for the Sharks’ dressing room.

Carpenter was assessed a two-minute minor for boarding.

Sturm returned to the ice for the second period for what turned into a 2-1 loss to the Rangers and took part in the Sharks’ morning skate Monday before the Sena tors game. But Sturm did

not skate in warmup and was scratched for the first time this season, as Nick Bonino took over thirdline center duties.

“Just didn’t feel great today,” Quinn said of Sturm, ”so we held him out.”

The Sharks ended their homestand with a 1-2-0 record to improve to 7-11-3 overall. They entered Tuesday in sixth place in the Pacific Divi sion with 17 points, six points behind the thirdplace Kraken.

Erik Karlsson assisted on Timo Meier’s secondperiod goal Monday and now has 11 goals and 29 points, totals that not only ranked first among all NHL defensemen but were also tied for third among all NHL players going into Tuesday.

Going into Wednes day’s game, Karlsson has scored or assisted on 46.8 percent of the Sharks’ 62 goals so far this season.

To put that into perspec tive, Bobby Orr, widely considered the great est defenseman in NHL history, had a hand in 43.3 percent of the Boston Bruins’ goals in 1969-70.

Quinn also gave kudos to Karlsson for his work off the ice.

“(The referees) shrug their shoulders when I asked them about it. But I know the league is really focusing on protecting our players.”

Giving thanks, feeling grateful as we prepare for this holiday

Dear Readers: As we prepare our tables and tummies for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving cele bration, I find myself reflecting on the count less things I am grateful for. From good health to loving friends and family to our wonderful community of readers and letter writers, there are so many things, big and small, to appreciate.

Here are some of my favor ite quotes about gratitude.

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” — G.K. Chesterton

“When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.” — Tecumseh

“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grate ful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” — Germany Kent

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which

he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus

“Let us be grate ful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gar deners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks con tinuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your grati tude.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heav enly blessings.” — Henry Ward Beecher

“What separates privilege from entitlement is grati tude.” — Brene Brown

“Gratitude is a powerful cat alyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” — Amy Collette

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” — Charles Dickens

“I’m still thanking all

Horoscopes

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

This conundrum will confront you today: Struggling to prove your worth demonstrates a belief of unworthiness. As soon as you realize you’re deserving, there is nothing to prove and the struggle ends.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Do not be in a rush to give or receive information. There are reasons to hold back. Mystery is the beating heart of a relationship, so keep things unknown. If you reveal or discover everything, the story ends.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You make others feel important, interesting and sin gular – perhaps because it’s what you believe about them. Reflected in your gaze, a person becomes the most fascinating individual in the world.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You can handle conflict if you need to, but it won’t come up. You’ll be too busy apply ing and refining your many skills for navigating the world in a mutually respectful way. Today, someone will watch and learn from you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re honest with your feel ings and you sometimes show them. But today, you’ll sense this is not to your advantage. If you bottle your emotions up through the course of an inter action, don’t forget to circle back and unbottle them later.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). While it is in your charac ter to be supportive, your sole purpose is not to play second

Today’s birthday

You embody your values. People may not articulate what they see in you, but they sense who you are. You’ll resonate with others who cherish family, prize community and pay homage to what makes the day-to-day function beautifully. More highlights: a stellar vacation, an unlikely friendship and a co-investment in a lucrative venture. Gemini and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 10, 4, 44 and 15.

fiddle to someone else’s drama. You’ll need to draw a bound ary or set a limit in order to get back in charge of your story.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

You’ll deal in a realm where the rules are enforced and the limitations are real. Even so, with creativity, persistence and a little luck, you will find your workaround. The fortunes favor you today.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

You’ll manage to keep the tone light, congenial and goodnatured without being the least bit superficial. It’s because there is an unshakable depth to your humanity, and the world can feel it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). The air crackles with curiosity. Distractions abound, the most interesting ones being far away. “Over there” may seem like the place to

the stars, one by one.” — Marissa Meyer

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” — Mar garet Cousins

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” — Epicurus

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Grati tude.” — A.A. Milne

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” — Meister Eckhart

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero

“When one has a grateful heart, life is so beautiful.” — Roy T. Bennett

“As we express our grati tude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

be, except it’s also a place one never can quite arrive at.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Existence may be multidimensional, but this is the experience that matters now. You’ll take charge of the day accordingly by focusing on what you can affect right now and leaving the rest alone.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Statistics and facts have been manipulated to encourage you toward the action someone else wants you to take. Check the reviews and ask for personal testimony before trusting the marketing materials being set before you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It so happens that applying your charm in the exact right moment will earn you a prize akin to the emotional jackpot. Since the right moment is unknowable, just be charming all the time.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: From tween sensation to con troversial pop star, Miley Cyrus is a bold Sagittarius through and through. This sign is known for breaking new ground, which Cyrus did with her Disney series “Hannah Montana,” blazing a multi level career path that stars like Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato would follow as well. Cyrus has natal moon, Mercury and Pluto in magnetic Scorpio. Look for Cyrus in the upcoming film “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas.”

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Bridge

partner holds.

Against the four-spade contract in today’s deal, West led the club queen. East could see 12 points in the dummy and 12 in his own hand. West had indicated three points from his lead. That left only 13 unaccounted for – surely South had them all for his opening bid. (Note that East knew South could not have a jack.)

Declarer won the first trick in hand with his club ace, played a spade to the ace and led another spade. East rose with the king and had to consider his next move.

DO NOT FORGET THE RULE OF 40

When discussing a bridge deal, you should try to avoid using the words “always” and “never.” However, there is one “always” that must be correct –there are always 40 high-card points in the deck. Both defenders, as soon as the dummy appears, should count its high-card points. Each will then be able to guesstimate how many points

Sudoku

Someone who wasn’t counting would probably switch to the heart queen. Here, though, it isn’t good enough. Even if declarer has 5=3=3=2 distribution, he can triumph. He wins the heart, leads a club to the 10 and king and runs the club nine, discarding a heart. He will get back into the dummy in diamonds and can throw his diamond loser on the established club eight.

East must switch to a low diamond. West only needs to have the diamond 10, or the nine if declarer misguesses with the 10-8.

When West gains the lead in clubs, he returns a diamond, and East takes two tricks in the suit to defeat the contract.

Always count the points when dummy appears.

DO NOT FORGET

THE RULE OF 40

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

When discussing a bridge deal, you should try to avoid using the words “always” and “never.” However, there is one “always” that must be correct –there are always 40 high-card points in the deck.

Both defenders, as soon as the

Goff leads the Detroit Lions against the Buffalo Bills.

What becomes of ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ now?

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy USA Network hit the the reality show mother lode in 2014 when it debuted “Chrisley Knows Best,” a sitcom-style reality series featuring an Atlanta family led by the colorful, Southern drawlin’ Todd Chrisley, who carried on like a reincarnated Paul Lynde.

While an NBCU niversal spokesman didn’t confirm the news Monday evening, Dead line said the show has been canceled but a few episodes that were taped prior to the trial will air in 2023.

The show, which specialized in “Brady Bunch”-level high jinks, became the network’s biggest reality show ratings draw, one of the last times a basic cable show of its ilk would capture the pop-cul ture zeitgeist before streaming began to steal away traditional TV’s audience.

“Chrisley Knows Best” would typically close with the family gathered around the bed of Todd and Julie Chrisley recounting the lessons learned from the previous 28 minutes. It felt contrived but heart felt all at once.

Here’s a typical plot description provided by USA Network from Season 1, focused on two of their children Savan nah and Chase: “When Chase and Savannah go over their credit limit, Todd makes them get jobs to appreciate their money. Savannah has to work in a clothing store, while Chase works as a caddie at a golf club.

Todd and Harvey play a round of golf with Chase as their caddie, but they try to annoy him. Later, Todd accompanies Chase and Savannah to work on a farm.”

Over nine seasons, USA Network released a generous 199 original episodes. Only a handful of other shows focused on a single family have come out with more epi sodes, including the Roloffs in TLC’s “Little People, Big World” with 381 and the Kardashians in E!’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” at 285.

In comparison, WE-TV’s “Braxton Family Values” aired 145, TLC’s “Here

Comes Honey Boo Boo” 55, A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” 54 and MTV’s “The Osbornes” 52. The Chrisleys would eventually move to Nash ville, Tennessee, but couldn’t escape financial misdeeds that caught the attention of the federal government. Prosecutors eventually indicted them on multiple counts of tax evasion and bank fraud and a judge Monday sen tenced Todd Chrisley to 12 years in prison and Julie seven years.

Just prior to the trial in June, USA Network renewed “Chrisley Knows Best” for its 10th season and aired the ninth season over the summer. The network plans to air footage it taped before the trial for a 10th season next year.

“Todd Chrisley and his entire family have opened their home and hearts to America, and we are so happy to be able to continue to grow, love and laugh with them,” said Heather Olander, senior vice president for alternative development and pro duction for USA Network in a press release in May.

USA Network stopped shooting footage for “Chrisley Knows Best” before the trial and did not start up after the couple was convicted.

During the period between conviction and sentencing, Todd and Julie Chrisley have been largely confined to their home in Nashville with electronic monitoring.

The Chrisleys plan to appeal the sentenc ing, but their careers as reality stars appear to be over.

In May, the network announced a dating spinoff show hosted by Todd Chrisley called “Love Limo” that was supposed to debut in 2023 but will not happen. And Deadline said sister station E! has also nixed the “Growing Up Chrisley” spinoff show featuring two of Todd and Julie’s chil dren – Savannah and Chase. Six episodes from season four aired on E! this past fall.

Grayson, another son, hit a truck on a Nash ville highway this past Saturday and landed in the hospital with injuries, according to TMZ.

Top 10 for your holiday TV watching:

FROM WARM AND RETRO TO ‘BAKING IT’

Holiday television was once relegated to tinsel-themed episodes on the broadcast networks and the occasional TV movie thrown in, with the Hallmark Channel doing the heavy lifting. Now? It’s an embarrassment of . . . some thing: Cheapo movies, reality shows, old classics you can dig up on streaming and more.

Everyone’s looking for something the whole family can watch without descending into chaos. With that in mind, here’s a sampling of what’s on offer this year. If a junk drawer were a TV list . . . well, happy digging.

Retro

“A Charlie Brown Christ mas” (available now on Apple TV+): It’s not the holiday season until I hear the mel ancholic piano and shuffling percussion of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmas Time is Here,” a staple thanks to the Peanuts gang – but not longer a staple on broadcast TV now that it’s on a streamer, but the good news: Apple TV+ is providing a free window for nonsubscribers Dec. 22-25.

Sitcoms and other TV classics: You can create a streaming bonanza of these oldies but goodies. From the earnest with “Little House on the Prairie’s” 1974 episode “Christmas at Plum Creek” (Peacock) to the politi cal with “The West Wing’s” 2000 episode “Noël” (HBO Max) to the comedic, with everything from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (the 1970 episode “Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid” on Hulu) to “The Office” (the 2005 episode “Christmas Party” on Peacock) to “Girl friends” (the 2003 episode “Merry Exmas” on Netflix) to “Happy Days” (the 1974 episode “Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas” on Paramount+).

Christmas movie marathon (starting Dec. 1 on Freeform): Through Dec. 25, the basic cable network will turn into the equivalent of the radio station that switches to an allChristmas format during the holiday season. The lineup includes: “Home Alone,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Jingle All the Way,” “The Grinch” and “Miracle on 34th Street” and more. You can find the full schedule here.

Retro but new

“A Christmas Story Christ mas” (available now on HBO Max): In the 1983 classic “A

Christmas Story,” Peter Bill ingsley stars as Ralphie “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out” Parker and it is based on the child hood memories of writer Jean Shepherd. In this sequel, Bill ingsley is back as Ralphie, now an adult in the 1970s with a wife, kids and periodappropriate sideburns, who re-connects with his mother as well as his childhood friends over Christmas.

Food

“Baking It” (Dec. 12 on NBC): A special holiday episode of the Peacock baking competition series hosted by Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph will feature their famous friends compet ing against one another. (The regular season of the show, which is five episodes, drops weekly on Peacock starting Dec. 12 as well.)

“Dr. Seuss Baking Chal lenge” (Dec 13 on Amazon and Freevee): This eight-epi sode series is hosted by Tamera Mowry-Housley along with pastry chef judges Clarice Lam and Joshua John Russell. Bakers will compete for $50,000 and be tasked with cre ating edible cakes and more inspired by Seuss characters and stories.

“Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas” (Dec. 19 on PBS): Berry became a household name to American audi ences thanks to her tenure as a judge on “The Great British Bake Off.” With this new special, she prepares the “perfect three-course Christ mas dinner” – from planning to shopping to prepping to actu ally cooking the darn thing. The menu includes canapés and lemon and herb roast turkey with apricot and chestnut stuff ing. If you’re feeling stressed out about hosting for the holi days, you can count on Berry to be a welcome and comforting

presence with some prac tical advice.

Defies categorization

“The Binge 2: It’s a Wonder ful Binge” (Dec. 9 on Hulu): A sequel to 2020’s “The Binge” which is set in a world where booze and drugs are banned except for one day a year (the premise is a straight rip-off of “The Purge”). In the new film, that day happens to land on Christmas. Never saw the orig inal, let alone heard of it, so I can’t offer much more than this description offered up by the movie’s marketers: “Watch a holiday adventure like you’ve never seen before that includes magical story books, catchy songs, beautiful stop-motion animation and a Christmas saga that won’t be soon forgot ten . . . and drugs! Lots of them! Merry Bingemas!”

Hallmark knockoffs with a twist

“A Hollywood Christmas” (Dec 1 on HBO Max): This one’s pretty meta: A riff on the standard-fare TV Christmas movie, about a filmmaker who has made a name for herself directing . . . standard-fare TV Christmas movies. With a handsome network executive as her nemesis-turned- love interest? Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha! That’s one way to sell a pitch –flatter the ranks most likely to greenlight it. Also: There’s apparently a “wayward elf dog” among the cast of characters to make it a truly Hollywoof Christmas. Sorry, not sorry.

“Must Love Christmas” (Dec. 11 on CBS): Liza Lapira (of CBS’s “The Equalizer”) stars as a romance novelist famous for her Christmasthemed books who finds herself trapped in a small town (check) by a snowstorm (check) and caught between two love inter ests (check and check).

Bridge

unfavorably that they go down. Then comes the grumble about bad luck. Ideally, of course, declarer looks for and finds a line of play that allows for these diabolical distributions.

Take today’s deal for example. After a standard auction, North wisely not mentioning his club suit, West leads the spade queen.

Most players win the first trick and without further ado play a club to dummy’s queen. When East discards, the declarers stop dead in their tracks, the contract now equally lifeless. They can finesse dummy’s club 10 for an eighth trick, but the ninth is long gone.

Slightly better declarers play a club to the 10 at trick two. This guards against a 4-1 club break, but here it still results in down one.

THE SUN WAS SHINING DESPITE THE DATE

I wish all of my American readers and their families a very happy Thanksgiving. There are many contracts that declarers misplay without realizing it. Sometimes, though, they make the contract anyway and think nothing more of it. However, once in a blue moon the opposing cards will divide so

Sudoku

Bridge

The best declarers lead a club and finesse dummy’s eight, allowing for the 5-0 split. When East discards, they beam contentedly. They return to hand in another suit and play their second club to dummy’s 10. The result is one overtrick, not one undertrick.

I hear you ask: “What are the chances of these splits?” True, West will have all five clubs less than 2% of the time. He will hold jack-fourth only 14% of the time. Also, those are a priori odds. The a posteriori odds are even lower, given that West has spade length.

THE SUN WAS SHINING DESPITE THE DATE

I wish all of my American readers and their families a very happy Thanksgiving. There are many contracts that declarers misplay without realizing it. Sometimes, though, they make the

From

loss. The Boxers went 5-4.

Senior linebacker Armon Bailey (Vanden) had three solo tackles and four assists as Sac ramento State beat UC Davis 27-21 in the Cause way Classic. The Hornets are the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs and will open the playoffs in two weeks against the winner of Sat urday’s matchup between Davidson and Richmond.

Junior center Jake Levengood (Vacaville) helped lead the way as Oregon State picked up its eighth win of the season, a 31-7 triumph over Arizona State. The Beavers scored four touchdowns and had 443 yards of offense. Oregon State faces Oregon this weekend in a big rivalry game before learn ing of its bowl destination.

Senior kicker Brandon Talton (Vacaville) kicked a pair of extra points in Nevada’s 41-14 loss to Fresno State. The Wolf Pack are 2-9 heading into the season finale against rival UNLV.

Men’s basketball

Senior guard Jordan Adams (Vacaville, Solano) saw action in two games last week for William Jessup. Adams had seven points, five rebounds and two assists in a 80-71 win over San Diego Chris tian and 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists in an 83-71 loss to Hope International.

Senior forward Jay Nagle (Will C. Wood) scored three points and had five rebounds and two assists for Idaho State in a 70-69 loss to Denver.

Junior forward Landon Seaman had 11 points and five rebounds for Menlo in an 84-71 win over Hope International and nine points, six rebounds and an assist in a 73-61 win over San Diego Christian.

Sophomore guard Jer emiah Jones (Salesian) saw action in one game for Stanislaus State. The Vacaville native had an assist in an 83-72 loss to Western Oregon.

Senior guard Dunnell Stafford (Solano) was on the court for Fort Lewis last week and had four points and an assist in an 88-63 win over North ern New Mexico, and five points, two rebounds and three assists in a big 104-75 win over Texas Permian Basin.

Junior guard Ricky Hamilton-Holland (Will C. Wood) played in three games last week for Pacific Union College. HamiltonHolland had six points, one rebound and one steal in a 107-101 loss to West Coast Baptist, 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in a 105-69 loss to Oregon Tech, and two points, four rebounds and two assists in an 88-68 loss to Simpson.

Women’s basketball Sophomore forward Joia Armstrong (Vanden) scored seven points and had five rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot for Stanislaus State in a 64-47 win over Holy Names and 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot in a 62-49 win over Academy of Art. Junior guard Ashmeen Sran (St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Solano) scored six points and had one rebound and two steals in the Holy Names game.

Junior forward Milia Gibson (Rodriguez) scored eight points to go with four rebounds, five steals and an assist for Mississippi Valley State in a 67-45 loss to Lipscomb.

Senior guard Myli Martinez (Vanden) had two rebounds and two assists for Chico State in a 66-64 loss to Western Oregon and two points, two rebounds and an assist in a 59-52 loss to St. Martins.

Professional football Linebacker Mykal Walker (Vacaville) made three solo tackles and had five assists as the Atlanta Falcons beat the Chicago Bears 27-24 and improved to 5-6 on the season.

Atlanta plays at Washing ton on Sunday against the Commanders.

49ers

his linemen who “gave me a ton of time, which always makes things easier.”

Here are some things that caught my eye as I watched on tele vision from the Bay Area:

Aiyuk’s 2 TDs

Brandon Aiyuk’s two touchdown catches gave him a career-high six on the season. Monday’s first was a 7-yard score on third-and-5, as Garoppolo patiently worked through his progression. Aiyuk’s only other catch: a 13-yard touch down late in the third quarter. That snapped his streak of four straight games with at least 80 yards. That streak doesn’t matter. His break out season has more room to grow.

A piece of advice: Don’t fire any more footballs in celebration at the

49ers’ videographers.

Kittle connection

A night after fellow tight end Travis Kelce starred for the victo rious Kansas City Chiefs, George Kittle followed his lead and showed off his own tight end-quarter back chemistry with Garoppolo.

Example: On third-and-3, Garop polo steps up past a three-man rush and, rather than run for a first down, he spots Kittle escap ing through the defense and, boom, a 39-yard touchdown catch-andrun has the 49ers ahead 14-3. Their 32-yard touchdown hookup capped the scoring, and it made for Kittle’s fourth touchdown of the season –and fourth in four games.

Second-half shutouts

It’s remarkable how DeMeco Ryans’ defense can shrug off a rusty start and, for a third win in a row, yield no points after halftime. The Cardinals managed just

87 passing yards in their secondhalf comeback attempt, and that rally proved lifeless thanks to fourth-down stops by the 49ers’ defense. Actually, a third-down pass breakup by Gipson set the stage for an ensuing fourth-down incompletion on the Cardinals’ first series after halftime. When McCoy failed on a fourth-down shot early in the fourth quarter, his night was done.

Beautiful blocking

Some may covet Trent Williams’ ability to take out two defensive backs on a 20-yard run by McCaf frey down the left wing. What really exemplified the offense’s blocking prowess was Samuel’s career-long 39-yard touchdown run, for a 24-10 lead in the first series after halftime.

Samuel found a fabulous lane down the left side thanks to blocks from Aiyuk, Williams, tight end Tyler Kroft, and, last but not least, center Jake Brendel, who pan